This healthier Chuys jalapeño ranch recipe is creamy, spicy, lower in calorie and higher in protein than the traditional recipe. It’s so full of flavor that you would never know its made with just four simple ingredients including a protein packed base of blended cottage cheese.

I love cottage cheese but I won’t lie when I say that I did have doubts about using cottage cheese in a dip. With the viral cottage cheese queso, I started to entertain the idea but wanted to spice up from traditional queso.

I moved from California to Texas 10 years ago and Chuy’s Tex-Mex was a restaurant that first introduced me to tex-mex food. While their menu is delicious, one thing that Chuys is best known for is their creamy jalapeño ranch dip.

Why not take this signature dish and turn it into a healthier, protein packed option that has an almost identical taste?

After making this copycat Chuys jalepeno ranch dip, I will say that I really am converted to the cottage cheese dip train. More importantly, my HUSBAND is converted to the blended cottage cheese dip train and if one thing should sell you on trying this dip out, it’s that!

Is Cottage Cheese Healthy?

From cottage cheese pancakes to cottage cheese pasta sauces, cottage cheese has been trending on the internet for some time now, and for good reason! It’s high in protein, high in vitamins and minerals, and low in calories making it a great food to include in a calorie controlled diet.

What is cottage cheese? I try to avoid using the word “curd” or “curdled” whenever I can, but cottage cheese is a curdled milk product that is incredibly mild in flavor and has alot of the nutrition that we know and love from cows milk.

The best part of this dip is how easily it comes together. Not only does it have just 4 simple ingredients but it is also made in the blender meaning you only get one dish dirty! Since this recipe makes about one cup of dip, I used the personal blender cups that go with my ninja blender. You could also use an emulsion blender or food processor. If you want to make a larger portion of this dip, I would blend it in a food processor or blender!

Other Cottage Cheese Recipes to Try:

As I mentioned, cottage cheese has been trending on the Internet for quite some time. Here are some of the blogs that I have for cottage cheese reviews and different cottage cheese recipes that you can try out!

Cottage cheese chocolate mousse

Cottage cheese vs ricotta cheese

10 cottage cheese sauces to try

Cottage cheese cookie dough

Savory cottage cheese toast

High protein Mac and cheese

Peanut Butter Cottage Cheese

Honey cottage cheese toast

Peaches and cream smoothie

20 creative ways to eat cottage cheese

Ingredients:

There are just 4 simple ingredients in this flavor-packed recipe:

Cottage Cheese: high in protein, low in calorie, and a perfect mildly flavored base for a lot of dips
Jalapeño: I removed the seeds from mine to keep the spice level lower
Ranch Seasoning: I kept this recipe simple and used store bought ranch seasoning but you can also make your own!
Fresh lime juice: fresh or store-bought will work just fine

Modifications:

The current recipe is very “eater” friendly. Not too spicy, not too ranchy, and a bit thicker texture. Here are a few modifications you could make:

Make it spicy- Don’t remove the seeds from the jalapeño and use the whole jalapeño for more robust flavor
Thin it out- Add a splash of milk (about ¼ cup) to the blender to make this dip slightly thinner
Add some additional flavor- Tossing in ¼ cup chopped cilantro would be a delicious addition of a fresh flavor.

You can really make this cottage cheese dip perfect for you!

Recipe FAQs

What should I pair this cottage cheese dip dip with?
This dip is great with traditional tortilla chips but can also be paired with fresh vegetables like carrots, cucumber, or bell peppers for a healthy low carb snack idea.
What are other ways to use this dip?
Looking for other ways to use this jalapeño ranch dip? I would add it to grilled chicken tacos, spread it on sweet potato nachos, or thin it out slightly and use it as a healthier salad dressing for a southwest salad!
Is cottage cheese lactose free?
Because of the way it is processed, most cottage cheese options are going to naturally be lower in lactose content and is suitable for those with lactose intolerance.
If you want fully lactose free cottage cheese, I would recommend buying Good Culture lactose free, Green Valley Creamery, or Lactaid. I also have an entire blog on different lactose free dairy products that you can try.

Yield: 1 cup

Author: Lauren Twigge